'Let's dance!': 2011's Footloose pays homage to 1984

October 19, 2011|By LORA SKYLLING | Somerset

Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough star in the Paramount Pictures remake of the 1984 film “Footloose.” The movie takes place in small town Bomont, Ga., where loud music and public dancing are declared illegal. Ren McCormack (Wormald), the nephew of a Bomont resident, arrives from Boston, Mass., to live with his uncle. He resists the extreme and unreasonable laws of the town. Ariel Moore (Hough), the rebellious daughter of the town’s reverend (Dennis Quaid), is one of the leading proponents of the law. Ariel strikes Ren’s interest while causing trouble for her father by participating in prohibited teenage behavior.

The acting in the lead roles is far from expert in this film, proving that Wormald and Hough’s talents are limited to dancing and exchanging intense glances with one another. The weak acting could be due in part to the writing. During the first half of the movie, after a three year jump in time, the plotline moves slowly. The events struggle to be captivating, situations are emotionally abrupt and overly dramatized, and the only successful deliveries of humor come from supporting characters, namely Ren’s friend Willard (Miles Teller).

After Ren and his friends resolve to challenge the ordinance against dancing, the plot gains momentum and the performances from the lead actors likewise improve.

Despite the improvement, the acting still is not strong enough to stand on its own. Compared to the original movie starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, this adaptation of “Footloose” develops the supporting characters—that have less prominence in the Bacon/Singer film—so that they may carry the weight of the main actors and compensate for the lackluster acting.

Remarkable similarities exist between the original film and its modern counterpart. Most noticeably, a large portion of the dialogue is unchanged from one version to the next, proving that the filmmakers desired to uphold the quality of the original. The costume design that mimics the wardrobe in the original movie gives recognition to the fashion of the eighties while keeping the looks realistic for this decade.

Many of the liberties taken in changing elements of the film detract from its quality. The original Footloose progresses at a fast pace. In the new movie, prolonged events drag out the story and consequently lose the attention of the audience.

The new movie also features extended and impractical violence in scenes that are tamer in the original production, making the triumph in the movie an overall less appealing experience.

Another clearly distinguishable difference between the two versions of the film is, importantly, the dancing. Dance sequences in the remake are more intricately choreographed and extravagant, made possible because of the selection of actors. Wormald’s participation in other dance movies and Hough’s wide recognition as a dancer on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars qualify them for their roles in the film.

This year’s Footloose, though not as well done as the original, proves itself a decent movie on its own. What it lacks in acting, it makes up for in impressive choreography. The film tastefully reinvents the original and inspires a new generation of fans to “cut loose.” 2011’s “Footloose” earns 3 out of 5 stars.